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Archive for October, 2009

Does God promise to find us jobs, money, or food when starving? I understand this discussion will disturb some. If God doesn’t promise to meet our physical needs, then can we really depend on Him? But, if we don’t deal with reality and Scriptures and truly understand who God is, it may impact our relationship regardless. When we are unemployed, does God guarantee He will find us a job? If we are single and want to be married, will He find us a partner? If we don’t have food on the table, will He find a miraculous way to provide our daily bread? This is a different discussion for us versus those in third world countries. We consider ourselves starving if we don’t have a least one meal a day. Some in other countries are glad to eat far less often and would not say they are starving. So, for those of us who are in wealthy countries, we may need to consider what we really need. But, even then does God promise us that we will not die from starvation? Does God promise us we will not contact some deadly cancer?

I think most of us know the answers to the questions asked thus far, as we all have loved ones who have died. Surely, we all realize innocent children die of starvation daily around the world. Innocent people were gassed during the Holocaust. Would they have been spared if only they prayed? We need to consider how this reality impacts our relationship with God. What exactly does God promise us? I have written elsewhere on this website about “Why Bother To Pray.” Briefly, I believe we can certainly pray to God for any of our needs – jobs, food, or relationships. But, we must not jump to any conclusions that if our prayers are not answered in the way we wish, that God does not care or answer prayers. Just as in marriage, if desires become expectations we will be solely disappointed. Job appeared to get a tongue lashing from God as he seemed to suggest God doesn’t care if He doesn’t answers our prayers the way we think they should be. It was almost if God said to Job “you think you can better run a world where freedom has been given.”

Ultimately, we must trust God can run a free world far better than us, and He always has our best interest in mind. But, I think God created the written Word and our brains so we might understand Him as well. The better we understand or not misunderstand those we are in relationships with, I believe the closer the intimacy. Does God really in Scriptures promise us our every physical need? If He does, why wasn’t Jesus spared on the Cross after asking to have “this cup removed from Him?” Why were the apostles after Jesus’ resurrection beaten, persecuted and died as martyrs? Sometimes, Matthew 6:11 is referenced as we are advised by Jesus to pray to God for our daily bread. This passage doesn’t promise us a life without hardships or suggest God is a liar if our physical needs are not met. God doesn’t promise we might not starve to death. Jesus previously said we do not live on bread alone but every word that comes from the mouth of God. (Mt 4:4) In John 6:35 Jesus says “I am the bread of life, He who come to me will never go hungry.” God promises us eternal life, not temporary, physical life here on earth. God will always sustain us emotionally during these times, if we are in a relationship with Him.

Where in Scriptures though does God promise our physical needs will always be met? One would be hard press to find one passage that promises this. In this world God cannot guarantee daily physical needs without totally ridding the world of all evildoers who often are behind certain populations starving. We have to decide if we must have all our physical wants or desires in this world met, rather than the peace that passes all worldly understanding that comes with a personal relationship with our Creator no matter our circumstances. When your needs or desires are not answered in the way you think they ought to be, do you think God doesn’t care or do you stop blaming God and throw yourself in the hands of the One who loves you dearly and promises you what is really important here on earth and the hope of a better life after death.

I certainly do not think God causes all suffering for some grand purpose, but it may be shortsighted to think it is always the wisest thing to interfere with suffering. Often, our suffering in a way that surpasses all human understanding is the only way we can get others to see what an awesome God we have. Suffering, whether directly caused by evildoers or not, may be the only megaphone that can reach people about what really matters in life. Miracles only turned heads but not hearts. It may take a funeral and observing the loved ones of the deceased, for others to see the hope that is within Christians. Personally, we learn nothing when God makes us rich; we just fall in love with being rich which obvious doesn’t buy happiness. The suffering of Jesus is what really changed the world for good, not Him coming as a King or Ruler. God is an awesome God. God is a rational God who can be understood. God provides our every necessary need, if we enter into an intimate relationship with Him.